Stuck Between Right & Easy
by Maddilyn
Summary: Isabelle has grown up being taught what's right and pure. But then she goes to Hogwarts, and learns things that go against her father's ways. Isabelle has to chose between what's easy, and what's right. (I suck at summaries, sorry) *Some Jilly action later on, as well as Remus/OC & Sirius/OC*
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own any recognizable character or places so please don't sue me.**

* * *

"But_ Daddy_..."

"Your mother went there, she would have loved to see her only daughter go as well."

"I would _love_ to go to Beauxbaxtons, honestly Daddy, but I would be _so_ lonely there! I'd probably be the only British girl in the entire school. Everyone would laugh at me!" I let a tear roll down my cheek. Daddy would surely cave now. "And besides, you've always said I'd make a good Slytherin, why not find out for sure?"

"All right, I guess you do make a good point... You know Isabelle, you would make a fine lawyer someday. I'm finding it harder everyday to win an argument against you." Daddy said affectionately.

"Oh thank you Daddy, thank you so much!" I squealed as I planted a kiss on his cheek.

"You're welcome, Darling. Now go on then, I know you're dying to owl Amelia." He said, shooing me out of the room.

* * *

_Dear Amelia,_

_ Guess what? Daddy's letting me go to Hogwarts! I'm so glad, I wouldn't have lasted a day at Beauxbaxtons. I swear I would have absolutely died of loneliness. I don't know how those mudbloods do it, honestly. Never having even heard of Hogwarts before, and then having to go there, and not knowing a single soul on top of it all. That's why I've always said it's so much better being a Pureblood._

_ Yes, I know what you're thinking, Amelia, my mother would have wanted me to go to Beauxbaxtons, but she would have wanted me to be happy as well, don't you think?_

_ Well, I'd best be off then, dinner will be ready soon. Before I forget, do you want to meet up in Diagon Alley tomorrow at 10 to go school shopping?_

_ Reply as soon as you can, so I can let Daddy know._

_Love,_

_Isabelle_

* * *

"Aspen, come here boy, I've got a job for you!"

My small, brown, tawny owl swooped down from his perch on my vanity mirror and landed gracefully beside me, sticking out his leg so I could attach the letter.

I tied Amelia's letter to his leg and told him to go straight there and not come back until he had an answer from her. I watched as he shot out my window and flew away towards my friend's house.

"Isabelle! Dinner!"

"Coming!"

When I returned from dinner, Aspen was sitting on my desk, waiting for me. I untied Amelia's letter from his leg and sat down to read it.

* * *

_Dear Isabelle,_

_ That's great! I totally agree with you. And I would __love__ to come tomorrow! See you then!_

_Love,_

_Amelia_

_P.S. Sorry this is short, but I wanted to get it off ASAP._

* * *

**A/N: I hope you liked this first chapter! I've got the second almost finished, I'll try to get it up later today, but no promises. It's a bit more exciting than this one, and some non-OC's come into the picture. Please review, if I don't get reviews I'll assumed you all don't like it and wil abandon it.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So here's the second chapter, I wasn't going to finish it tonight but then I got a review (see how helpful these little things are?). For the purposes of this fic, let's pretend Voldemort is on the rise a bit earlier than normal (This is during Marauder era, so in the books I'm pretty sure he doesn't show up 'till 6th or 7th year). Nothing major will happen until way later, I just needed the concept of blood traitors in order for this fic to work.****  
**

**Disclaimer: Last time I checked I wasn't J.K. Rowling. Enough said.**

* * *

I woke up early the next morning, excited about the Diagon Alley trip. I looked at my alarm clock and realized that it was only 8 am. I still had two hours until I had to leave for Diagon Alley! I decided to go get some breakfast.

We have house-elves that work only in the kitchens, so we can order anything we want for breakfast and lunch (dinner is always planned, because it takes longer to prepare). I sat down at the counter and ordered waffles with fruit.

After I finished eating, I went upstairs to get dressed. During to summer Amelia and I almost always wore muggle clothing, even when going to wizard-only places, because they were _so_ much cooler than the heavy, dark wizard robes.

I rifled through my closet, pulling out various things and examining them in the mirror, before finally deciding on black leggings and a long, purple tank top that sparkled on the bottom. I slipped on a pair of purple flats and put my hair up in a ponytail. I looked at my alarm clock and realized that I only had five minutes until 10 'o clock. I grabbed my brown leather bag and went downstairs to find a house-elf.

When I entered the front hall, I saw Mindy, my favorite house-elf, cleaning the windows.

"Hey, Mindy, do you think you could take me to Diagon Alley super fast?" I asked.

"Of course, Mistress Isabelle!" Mindy squeaked, dropping her rag and rushing over to me.

"I've told you a hundred times, Mindy, you can stop calling me that, Isabelle is just fine!" I said exasperatingly.

"Of course, Mis- Isabelle." Mindy replied as she took my hand. "Hold on tight!"

_ Crack._

I blinked my eyes and gasped for air. I had been apparating with house-elves for years, but I still wasn't used to the sensation of being pulled through a tube.

"I'll call for you later to take me home, alright?" I told Mindy.

"Okay!" Said Mindy, and with another loud crack, she was gone.

I looked around for Amelia, and soon spotted her outside Madam Milkin's, looking at the new dress robe styles from France, that were being displayed in the window.

"Amelia!" I called as I ran over to her.

"Isabelle!" She exclaimed, pulling me into a hug. "I'm _so_ excited you're coming to Hogwarts with me! How did you convince your dad?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. Acted like I'd love to go to Beauxbaxtons but I'd be miserable if I did, fake-cried a little, the works. He can never resist the crying." I replied, laughing.

Amelia laughed too, as we joined arms and went in to the shop to try on robes.

* * *

"...And then I said, 'But _Daddy!_ You don't understand! I would positively _die_ of loneliness there!' And that's when the fake crying started." I said, laughing. Amelia and I were sitting at a table outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor eating chocolate cones with sprinkles while I told Amelia the, um, _embellished_ version of my argument with Daddy last night.

"You are _brilliant_ Isabelle!" Amelia exclaimed, laughing so hard she was clutching her stomach.

"I kn- Hey! Sirius!" I called, spotting him walking over to us. "Who's that with him?" I whispered to Amelia.

"I don't know." She whispered back, looking at the strange boy approaching.

As they got closer, I saw that the boy had messy black hair that looked as if he'd never brushed it in his life. He had blue eyes and wore glasses. His smile was lopsided, just like Sirius's.

"Hey guys!" Sirius said, smiling. He pulled out a chair and sat down. The boy did the same. "This here's James Potter."

We both said hey and I asked Sirius where they'd been. He said they'd just come from Eyelop's.

"Oh, did you buy an owl?" I wondered. He had been wanting one for years, but his parents just told him to use the family one every time he asked.

"No, my parents still won't get me one." He sighed. "That's the first thing I'm buying, soon as I get some money."

"And where exactly do you plan on getting this money from?" I asked, smiling.

"Thought I'd rob Gringotts." Sirius replied causally, leaning back in his seat.

We all laughed, and continued taking. James turned out to be just like Sirius: funny, cocky, and full of pranks. He gave us thrilling accounts of all the pranks he had pulled on his cousins at family parties. We talked and laughed for hours.

At about three 'o clock, Amelia decided she'd better head home. We said our goodbyes and I called for Mindy to apparate me home.

* * *

Later that night, I was reading in bed when Daddy came in.

"How was your day, sweetie?" He asked, sitting down on the end of my bed.

"Oh, it was lovely Daddy!" I exclaimed, dropping my book. "Sirius was there! He had a friend with him, James, I think? James Potter."

"James _Potter_?" Daddy echoed.

"Yes.." I was puzzled by his tone. He sounded... angry. And shocked.

"I don't think you should be talking to him, Darling." Daddy said slowly.

"But why not?" I wondered. "He seemed quite nice."

"Because he's a blood traitor." Daddy said in a harsh tone.

"A _blood traitor?_" I was shocked. I never knew blood traitors could be so... so _nice_. Especially to Purebloods.

"Yes."

"Oh. Okay Daddy." He kissed me on the forehead, then left the room, telling me to get some sleep.

I got up and pulled on my pajamas. As I got ready for bed, I thought about what Daddy had told me. It just didn't make _sense!_ The Blacks' are one of the most respected Pureblood families around, and they're big supporters of The Dark Lord, whoever he is. I haven't heard a lot about him, but from what I can weasel out of Daddy, he wants to eradicate mudbloods. Which is fine by me, they're disgusting. But I still can't understand how Sirius's parents would be okay with this friendship, unless they don't know about it...

* * *

_Sirius, why are you friends with a blood traitor?_

_Isabelle_

* * *

_Sirius? Hello? Why did Aspen come back?_

* * *

_Sirius! Stop avoiding my owls!_

* * *

_You can't avoid me forever Sirius!_

* * *

_Fine. Be that way. But I will get an answer out of you eventually._

* * *

I dropped into bed, frustrated. I wanted to bug Sirius all night until I got an answer out of him, but I was exhausted from the shopping trip and didn't particularly like the idea of staying up all night. I decided to bug him tomorrow instead.

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**A/N: As always, please review! Like I said, even one review is enough to keep me going. But the more, the better! More reviews = faster updates!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So, chapter three! Finally! Yay! I actually finished this yesterday, but I still had to type it up, and I was so busy today that I couldn't get it finished and posted until now. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, you have no idea how much you mean to me! I've been having a really rough couple of weeks, my family and I (with the exception of my mom and oldest younger sister) don't have the best relationship and it's been really hard as of late. That's why I said I was discontinuing this story, I was frustrated with all that and so when I noticed the number of views I had on this I just.. I don't even know. I was just frustrated in general. But as I've discovered more of what Isabelle and future characters have going on, it's become so much like my life right now that writing this has become a sort of therapy for me. This is getting long so I'm going to stop now, I hope you like this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I promise. _Sirius! James! Get back in your boxes! I'm trying to prove I don't own you, you're not helping! _I really don't own Sirius and James guys, as much as I would love too. _Stop talking! They can hear you!__ *shoves them into a room and locks the door* _See? No Sirius and James.**

* * *

The next day, I pestered Sirius nonstop. I sent him letter after letter, begging him to talk to me. By lunchtime I realized that he was probably just throwing all the letters away, so I told Aspen to peck Sirius nonstop until he wrote back. Three hours later, I _finally_ got an answer from him.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

_Isabelle_

_Yes, I'm friends with a blood traitor. My parents don't know, so I'd appreciate if you'd keep this quiet, okay?_

_Are you happy now?!_

_-Sirius_

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

_Dear Sirius,_

_ Finally! How'd you stand 3 hours of pecking anyways?!_

_ And no, I'm not happy now. Why the bloody hell are you friends with a blood traitor?! And I will tell your parents if I don't get answers._

_Love,_

_Isabelle_

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

_Isabelle,_

_Because I don't bloody care about all that purebloods-are-better and blood-traitors/muggle-borns-are-stupid crap. Again, don't you dare tell my family or I'll never talk to you ever again as long as I live._

_Ever._

_-Sirius_

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I stared at Sirius's letter in shock. Not care... What the bloody hell has gotten into him?! I've got to tell his parents about this, they'll knock some sense into... Oh. No. I can't. He'd stop talking to me. Sirius had been my friend since birth, I couldn't lose that.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

_Dear Sirius,_

_ I need to talk to you on the train tomorrow. And don't you dare try and avoid me Sirius Orion Black._

_Love,_

_Isabelle_

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I decided to start packing, as I was leaving for Hogwarts tomorrow and I didn't want to be rushed in the morning.

I quickly got all my clothes packed and started on my books and other things I had bought in Diagon Alley. Soon, all I had left was my wand. I picked it up and twirled the smooth wood between my fingers. I thought about the day I had first held my wand in Ollivander's shop. It was the seventh wand I had tried and I was feeling a bit impatient...

_"Here, try this one." Ollivander said, holding the wand out to me, "13 inches, slightly yielding, Cedar wood with a Unicorn hair core."_

_ I reached for it, and as soon as I picked up the long wand, I felt and incredible sensation. I felt warm, safe, and loved, something I hadn't felt since mum had died._

_ I looked up and saw Ollivander looking at me, with a huge grin on his face. "That's the one!" He exclaimed, taking my wand back and putting it in a black box. "Here you are." He said, handing me the box._

_ I took it and watched him scurry around the shop again, looking for the perfect wand for Annabelle._

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Isabelle! Mindy is ready to take you!" Daddy called up the stairs.

"Coming, Daddy!" I yelled back, and rushed to shove my last-minute things in my trunk. I snatched it up and dragged it down the stairs, where Mindy was waiting patiently for me. I grabbed her hand and held on tight as we disappeared with a loud crack.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

With another crack, we reappeared on the hidden platform in King's Cross Station. My eyes grew wide as I took in the crowd of people, rushing around, either sending off children of getting on the bright red train themselves.

I heard a loud squeal and a cry of "Isabelle!". Just as I turned to see who it was, I was nearly knocked to the ground by a small person running in to me. I quickly realized that it was Amelia and hugged her back.

"Can you believe it, Isabelle?! We're finally going to Hogwarts!" Amelia squealed, jumping up and down in excitement.

"I know!" I exclaimed. "I can't believe it either!"

"Hello, Isabelle."

I looked up to see Amelia's parents walking towards us. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Parkinson." I said.

"Where is your father, dear?" Amelia's mum asked.

"He- he had to work. A house-elf brought me." I explained.

"Oh. Well, have fun you two! We'll see you at Christmas, Amelia." They hugged her and walked away. Amelia and I grabbed our stuff and hopped on the train to find a compartment.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I slowly opened my eyes and sat up. The sun was shining directly through the compartment window, as it was now late afternoon. I looked over at the seat across from me and saw that Amelia was still asleep. I decided to go find Sirius. Hopefully that blood-traitor _wouldn't_ be with him.

I walked up and down the aisles, looking for Sirius. Finally I saw him coming out of a compartment at the other end of the train car.

"Hey! Sirius! Wait up!" I called down the aisle, walking towards him.

He looked up, and noticing the determined expression on my face, sighed. "Come to scold me, Milani?"

I grabbed his arm, saying, "Compartment. Now." and dragged him down the aisle. Spotting an empty compartment, I shoved him inside and locked the door.

"What do you bloody _mean_ you don't think purebloods are better?!" I shouted, turning to face him. I expected to see a look of defiance, but instead he looked resigned, like he had known this was going to happen. I also saw a bit of... fear? Was the amazing Sirius Black, greatest prankster of all time, actually _scared?_ Of being _yelled at?!_

"Look, Isabelle, I'm not going to sit here and argue about this, because that's going to get us nowhere. If you don't want to speak to me ever again, then... fine. That's your choice, I guess." Sirius replied calmly. His face fell a little at the last bit, as if he didn't particularly like the idea of us never speaking to each other again.

I was shocked. I had expected yelling, and screaming, and probably one of us storming out on the other. I had been prepared to argue about this for days, possibly weeks. But that hadn't happened, none of it. Sirius had ended the argument practically before it had begun. I didn't know what to do.

"That's it?! No yelling? No screaming? Just, 'Take it or leave it, but I'm not arguing'?!" I asked, struggling to keep my voice calm, as I was beginning to panic.

"That's it. Let me know if you decide you're still speaking to me." He replied, unlocking the door and leaving the compartment.

I sat down and put my head in my hands, thinking over what Sirius had just said. I decided this wasn't over, not by a long shot, and ran out the door. I quickly caught up with him and dragged him back inside the compartment.

"That was rather quick, don't you think? I expected you to stop talking to me for at least a week." Sirius joked, grinning.

"Stop joking, Sirius! Will you _please_ live up to your name for once?!" I exclaimed, exasperated.

"Fine, what do you want, anyway? Not going to yell at me some more, are you?" The grin disappeared.

"No. What I want to know, is _why?_"

"Why what?"

"Why don't you think purebloods are better?"

"Well, why do you?"

I looked at him in astonishment. "Because we _are!_ Our parents and grandparents are wizards! There's no filthy muggle blood in our veins!" I practically shouted.

"But think about it," Sirius began, "What difference does that make? Are purebloods any better wizards than muggle-borns?"

"Well... I... I guess not." I admitted.

"See, there you go. That's why." And with that, Sirius stood up, unlocked the door, and left.

* * *

**A/N: So, there it is. I hope you enjoyed it! Please, please, PLEASE leave a review! Reviews encourage me to write, and feel free to whine all you want for a new chapter, the pressure actually makes me want to write more. I can't promise a new chapter by next week, but I try to write at least a page a night, and I've already got a fairly good outline for the next chapter. So, again, reviews and whining please! No pressure = longer wait between chapters!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here you are, the fourth chapter! I finished this last night, and it wasn't going to be put up until the weekend because that's the only time of the week when I have enough time to type anything up, but we had a snow day today! Yay! So now you get a new chapter! This one has a lot of internal dialogue and struggle in it, so sorry if it's a bit boring, and please don't kill me once you get to the end, but it all had to be done. The next one will be a lot more exciting, I promise!**

**Disclaimer: Once upon a time, I wrote a book called Harry Potter, and became rich and famous. Oh wait, that was a dream.**

* * *

I sat for a long time in that compartment, thinking over what Sirius had said. Honestly, he did have a point. And besides, how would I know? I'd never talked to a muggle-born, I'd hardly even _seen_ them, Daddy forbid me to have anything to do with them.

I guess the real question was, who did I trust more: Sirius or Daddy? Sirius had been my best friend since birth, he was almost a brother to me. But Daddy was... well, Daddy. Even though we weren't as close as most fathers and daughters, deep down, I did love him. I mean, he is my father after all.

I looked up and realized that it was already starting to grow dark, and decided to go find Amelia. I got up and left the compartment, heading back towards the one I had left her in. Funny, how long ago that seemed.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Isabelle! There you are! Where've you been?"

I walked into the compartment and sat down, leaning against the wall. "With Sirius." I replied.

"Oh. You've been gone an awful long time. We must be nearly there by now, I'm so excited!" Amelia exclaimed, grinning.

A split second after the words left her mouth, the train lurched to a stop in Hogsmeade Station. Amelia looked at me, eyes wide in excitement. She jumped up to grab her stuff and hurried out of the compartment, with me following right behind her.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Andalucci, Madeline!"

A small, brown-haired girl walked up to the stool and put the Sorting Hat on her head. "GRYFFINDOR!" It called out. The Gryffindors cheered as she hurried over to them, head down, blushing.

More first-years were sorted, as I stood in line, still thinking about what Sirius had said on the train.

"Potter, James!"

It was Sirius's friend. He wasn't on the stool very long. Soon, the Hat was shouting, "GRYFFINDOR!" and he was on his way.

I liked James, he seemed perfectly normal to me, and he thought muggle-borns were alright. Sirius trusted him too, and Sirius was very picky about who he trusted.

"Black, Sirius!"

Oh, it was Sirius's turn. He walked up to the stool, flicking his long, dark hair out of his face. The hat took a bit longer on him than James, but not too much longer. "GRYFFINDOR!" The Hat called out.

Honestly, I can't say I was shocked.

"Parkinson, Amelia!"

The Hat had barely touched her head when it shouted out, "SLYTHERIN!"

I wasn't surprised at all by Amelia's sorting, but now I was stuck in the middle. On one hand, I wanted to be with Sirius and James in Gryffindor, but on the other, I didn't want to leave Amelia. That had been the whole reason I had gone to Hogwarts and not Beauxbaxtons in the first place, so that I wouldn't have to leave Amelia. I had also come to prove to Daddy that I would make a good Slytherin, but I couldn't help thinking, what if I wouldn't?

What if I wasn't meant to be a Slytherin at all?

And then, it was my turn.

"Milani, Isabelle!"

I slowly walked up to the stool, and, pushing my strawberry-blonde hair behind my ear, I placed the Sorting Hat on my head.

_'Ahhh... very interesting character we have here. Very manipulative when you want to be, and a need for control as well, you could be a Slytherin...' _The Hat muttered in my ear.

_'But I don't know if I _want _to be a Slytherin!' _I thought.

_'Well then, that's a problem, isn't it? You see, most Slytherins wanted to be in their house, it is a great honor to be sorted there. But I can tell you aren't sure?'_

_ 'No.'_

_ 'What about Gryffindor, then? I can see you are also very loyal, and you've been very brave, considering. How you've managed to hide that from your friends and still act as if everything's fine...'_

_ 'I- I don't know...' _I wasn't surprised that the Hat knew about my... problem. _'My dad... he'll be so disappointed...' _I looked up towards the Gryffindor table, and locked eyes with Sirius. My deep brown eyes stared into his stormy grey ones, and that's when I knew. I knew I could trust Sirius, no matter what. _'I want to be in Gryffindor.'_

_ 'Are you absolutely sure? You can't change your mind, you know.'_

_ 'I'm sure.'_

_ 'Alright then...'_ "GRYFFINDOR!" The Hat shouted, as the Gryffindor table erupted into cheers.

I walked down to their table and sat next to Sirius.

"Isabelle?"

"Yes, Sirius?" I expected he wanted to know what had taken so long. I turned to look at him, and that's when I noticed his expression. His face was white, and he looked petrified.

"Your dad..."

"My dad..." I repeated, my eyes growing wide. I turned away, the shock of what I had just done and what it meant sinking in. As I did, I noticed Amelia staring at me from the Slytherin table across the Great Hall.

The only other person I'd ever seen look that furious in my life... was my dad.

I mumbled something about using the loo, and ran for it.

* * *

**A/N: Oooh, a cliff-hanger! Please don't kill me, I promise to start on the next one right away! **

**NEXT CHAPTER: I'm sure you all want to know what her 'problem' is, and why she's running out on us. Yes, the two are related! All will be revealed next chapter! **

**I'm sure we all know by now that there's going to be some problems between Isabelle and dear old daddy, but I'm have trouble deciding if they're going to be happening sooner or later. Sirius's family problems will start happening around the same time as hers, FYI. The choices are:**

**Isabelle, tells her dad right away, or at least, soon, and there's some howler action.  
**

**OR**

**She ignores his letters as much as she can, and he doesn't find out until Christmas.**

**There's a poll on my profile, please go and vote!**

**And, as always, please review! And pressure, lots of pressure. I like that.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Yay! The fifth chapter! I actually finished this the same day I posted chapter 4, but I couldn't finish typing it until now, sorry! Also, sorry to whoever I told this would be up yesterday, I really tried but we got busy. So, there are secrets revealed and stories told in this chapter! I'm so excited for you guys to read it and tell me what you think! There's a LOT more Sirius in this chapter! Yay!**

**Disclaimer: Last time I checked, I was a sixteen year old girl and living in the US of A. Not quite J.K. Rowling.**

* * *

I burst out into the hallway and ran as if my life depended on it, though, in a sense, it did. I ran and ran, not caring where I was or where I was going or how I was going to get back- oh merlin, I was going to have to go_ back_- I could feel the panic taking over my body and the fear- oh merlin the fear- so. much. fear- it was eating me up so I ran and ignored the footsteps behind me and the shouts and "ISABELLE! WAIT!" and- oh merlin isabelle what have you done now they're going to knowtheyregoingtoknowtheyregoingtoknowisabellewhathaveyou-

So I ran.

And somehow I found myself in a tower pushing myself up against the wall and the sobs racking my body- so many tears running down my face and soaking my shirt and sirius's shir-

"Sirius?"

ohmerlinsiriusisherehesherehesgoingto_know_-

"Isabelle, shh.."

hesherehesHEREOHMERLINNO-

"Sirius!" I pushed myself away from him trying to get away- away from here from him oh merlin from _him_- why is he here?! He can't know oh merlin he can't he bloody _can't_ oh bloody _hell_- he can't bloody know he's going to want explanations and stories and whyandwordsandicant- I don't know if I can do it. I don't know if I can ever do it. I can't-

I gave up and sobbed into his shirt, his shirt that was already soaked from my tears- from _me_- oh merlin how long had he been here, how long had _I_ been here?!

My sobs grew quieter and quieter as I fought for control of myself. Eventually the tears stopped altogether.

"Isabelle?" Sirius said, his voice soft, stroking my tear-soaked hair away from my face. I don't think I'd ever seen him so gentle before. "What- what happened? I'm sorry- I'm sorry I said that, I didn't think you'd flip out like that-"

"Of course you didn't." I interrupted, sitting up. "How could you? You have no idea..." I trailed off, not knowing how to continue.

"About what?"

I really, _really_ didn't want to tell him, but at the same time, I did. I looked into his stormy eyes, full of concern. I felt it again, that deep feeling of absolute _trust_, and knew that I could tell him. I could tell him, he would accept it, would still be my friend.

"It's a long story."

"I've got time." He pulled me back into him, leaning against the wall, getting comfortable.

"You can't tell _anyone._"

"Cross my heart and hope to die."

"It started a long time ago... when I was six. When- when mum died..." I began. Realizing something, I turned to face him. "Did I ever tell you how she died?"

"No."

"Well, she was experimenting again, with potions. I was in the lab with her. She added something to the potion, and whatever it was, it must've been bad, because the next thing I knew, the potion had exploded. There was purple everywhere. I had a bit on me, but mum was absolutely _covered_. She- she died instantly. I didn't die, obviously, but I got really bad seizures. My dad found us like that, how long after I don't know. He cleaned up the potion and stopped the seizures. I was mostly fine, although there were some... side effects."

"Wow. I... I'm s-"

"Don't Sirius. I don't want apologies, you had nothing to do with it." I _hated_ when people got all sympathetic. It's been seven bloody years, for merlin's sake!

"So... side effects? Am I safe to assume this is one of them?" He asked.

"Yeah, the panic attacks, and I get seizures sometimes, but rarely. Months go by between them, I wouldn't be surprised at all if I didn't have one all year."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

After a pause, I looked up at Sirius, wondering what he was thinking. "Are you... are you okay..."

"Of course I'm okay with it! Why wouldn't I be?" He answered.

"Are you sure? I- I understand if you don't want to be friends any-"

"Bloody hell, Milani! When are you going to get it through your head that I'm perfectly fine with all of this?! You're my best friend! Why would I want to end that?"

"Because... because I wouldn't want to be friends with myself either, knowing I could break down any second..."

"And I'll be there to pick up the pieces, Isabelle. You can count on that."

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**A/N: Wow! Lots revealed in this chap! As always, review, review, review! And PLEASE vote in the poll on my profile about what happens with Isabelle and her dad concerning her sorting, I can't write the next chapter until I know! I'll give it until monday, or when I get 10 votes (whichever comes first).**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I am so so so so _so_ sorry for disappearing for so long! I really did try to get this up sooner, but I was just so busy and inspiration just did not come. But now it's finally done! Sorry this is kinda a boring chapter compared to the others, but I'm happy with it and it needed to be included.**

**And to the guest reviewer that said they would pray for me: Thank you so so **_**so**_ **much for your review! You have no idea how much that meant to me. :)**

**To the other guest reviewers: Thank you as well! Reviews mean so much to me!**

**Disclaimer: If I was Queen Rowling I would most definitely not be typing this on an old half-broken computer in my moms office. I would probably be sitting on a porch of a beach house somewhere nice and warm with a brand new laptop. **

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Sirius and I didn't stay in the tower long, afraid of getting in trouble (normally that wouldn't bother us, but we figured we should try not to get detention on our first day). Dinner was already over, so we set off to find someone who would tell us where the Gryffindor dormitories were.

We wondered around for a while, and eventually ran into a fifth-year prefect, who showed us to the common room. We said goodnight and headed off to our dorms.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I slowly opened my eyes as someone poked me, repeatedly, in the stomach.

"Stooohhppitt..." I groaned, rolling over and shutting my eyes.

"You'll be late for breakfast if you don't get up!" a voice sang out somewhere above my head.

Oh. Right. I had roommates now.

I sat up and opened my eyes again to see a thin girl standing next to my bed. She had long red hair and bright green eyes.

"I'm Lily Evans." she chirped. "What's your name?"

"Isabelle. Isabelle Milani." I said, my voice thick with sleep. I looked around the dorm at my other roommates, all of whom were in some state of dress; except for one girl who evidently had just been woken up like me, probably by Lily.

The cheery girl introduced me to the other girls, pointing to each of them in turn and telling me their names. They were: Alice Prewett (long, dirty blonde hair; deep blue eyes), Madeline Andalucci (lots of thick, curly brown hair; green eyes), and Marlene McKinnon (the other girl who had just been woken up; shoulder-length, silky black hair; brown eyes).

I nodded sleepily as she chattered on about anything and everything as I dragged my self out of bed. I got ready for the day and headed down to breakfast with the other girls.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Immediately upon entering the Great Hall, I spotted Sirius sitting next to James at the long Gryffindor table. He was talking animatedly to a small, light brown, almost golden-haired boy sitting across the table from them. Next to the golden-haired boy was a short, slightly plump blond boy who was listening to the conversation with wide eyes, looking as starstruck as if he were talking to Merlin himself.

I skipped over to Sirius (having fully woken up upon spotting my best friend) and plopped down on the bench next to him. "Good morning Sirius!" I greeted. "Sleep alright?"

"Morning! Yup, I assume you did as well, you certainly seem chipper." He replied turning his head to face me. "Id've thought you'd be a bit worn out still, because... you know..." A concerned look appeared on Sirius's face.

"Oh, psh. You worry too much!" I playfully swatted him on the arm. "As a matter of fact, I _was_ quite exhausted this morning, but once I laid eyes upon your glorious face and flowing mane, I seemed to have woken up a bit." I sighed dramatically. "You always seem to have that sort of effect on me." I laid the back of my hand on my forehead and pretended to swoon into his arms.

He caught me and a playful grin appeared on his face. "Well, as there's nothing I can do about my fabulous looks, I guess you'll have to let me snog you senseless then, mi'lady." Sirius copied my earlier dramatic sigh. He shrugged and bent down to peck me on the nose.

I giggled and sat up, proclaiming: "That's all the action you'll be getting today, Mr. Black, if you don't mind, I'd like to eat my breakfast now" and grabbed the nearest bowl of scrambled eggs, scooping them onto my plate. Sirius and I had always joked like that, me pretending to be desperately in love; him pretending to be the handsome knight in shining armor from muggle children's stories.

In truth, Sirius was quite handsome. Not that I'd ever tell him that of course, his head is big enough as it is.

"So, Sirius, are you going to introduce me?" I asked, waving my fork in the direction of the two boys sitting across the table.

"This is Remus Lupin-" (he pointed to the golden-haired boy) "-and Peter Pettingrew." (the plump blond boy). "They're our dormmates." I smiled at them. Up close, I noticed that Remus's face and neck were littered with scars. _What in Merlin's name happened to him? _I wondered. "This is Isabelle Milani, only my best friend since birth, and occasional snog partner."

"_Sirius!_ That is not true and you know it!" I scolded. I wasn't really cross though, what else could you expect from the likes of Sirius Black?

Sirius laughed and slung an arm around my shoulders. "Just kidding. Seriously though, you do anything to her and you'll have me to answer to."

"I can take care of my own bloody self, thank you very much." I replied, pushing his arm off of my shoulders.

"So, are you going to introduce me to your new friends as well, Isabelle? Or are you going to force me to get acquainted some other way?" He winked at the girls who had sat down beside us and they all giggled, save Lily and Madeline.

"Oh sod off." I groaned, elbowing him in the ribs. "This is Marlene McKinnon, Lily Evans, Madeline Andalucci, and Alice Prewett. They're my dormmates as well." I pointed to each in turn as I said their names. "This big lug over here is Sirius Black, and his friend with the crazy hair is James Potter."

Marlene giggled, and waved her fingers at Sirius, blushing. _Oh great._ I thought, _here we go again._ No matter where we went, at least one girl was bound to get all giggly and flirty around Sirius. He, of course, ate it up. Did I mention he has a big head?

"Pleased to meet you, Ladies." I heard James say. Shocked, I turned to face him. In the short time I had known him, I had never _once_ heard him become more polite than the occasional "please" or "thanks". I then noticed that he didn't seem to be looking at _all_ the girls... just one redhead in particular... _ohhh, so _that's_ why he's being so polite! _I realized. _Jamsie's got a crush on Liiill-lyy! _I sang in my head, giggling.

"What's so funny?" Sirius asked.

"I'll tell you later." I replied, gathering up my things. "We're going to be late for Charms, anyhow, if we don't leave now."

"He sighed. "Alright then, let's go." Everyone started gathering their things as well and we all trooped out of the Great Hall together, excited for our first day of classes at Hogwarts.

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**A/N: So yeah. I'm not even sure what happened with this one, I had meant to reveal more of the friendship between Sirius and Isabelle, but they kinda ran away with it and... idk. Oh well, it's funny anyway and they introduced everyone like I wanted. *pats them on the head and gives them cookies as reward* Oh, you think those cookies look delicious? They are, I made them myself. Would you like some? You would? Well I only give cookies to those who deserve it so no cookies for you until you review! *waves cookie temptingly under your nose* Repeat after me: "I will review. Then Maddilyn will give me cookies. ****I will review. Then Maddilyn will give me cookies.** **I will review. Then Maddilyn will give me cookies.**"

**Also, I won't be able to update as often as I have been, sorry! School is getting busier and I've just been losing interest in fanfiction a bit. But I WILL finish this, I promise! The next chapter will prob be moved up in time a bit and I haven't quite figured that all out yet so.**


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